This story is dedicated to my old kindergarten teacher who has cancer. This fanfic is basically an extra episode added to season three. Anyway, story time.
I took a deep breath. I ran through my mental checklist.
Books, check
Notebooks, check
Note from the principal, check
Hat, check.
I took another breath and pushed open the door to my new school. I got my dorm organized and adjusted my blue beaded beanie. I went down to the lunchroom and sat down in an empty table without even bothering to get any food. I took out my meds and swallowed a pill. I knew that people were watching me. People always watch the new kid, especially kids who don't eat the food and have pills. I slipped my pill bottle back into my purse and focused on acting like a druggie. No one wants to talk to a druggie. I zoned out and ignored the voices of the other students.
"Excuse me," a voice said, interrupting my meditation. "Can you move? This is kind of...our table."
I looked up. Freaky blonde kid wearing purple, computer geek, pinkette, passive aggressive jerk, and goth girl. Outcasts who think that they're better than everyone else. Easier to move than to argue with them. I stood up and moved to another table. The geek cleared his throat. "Um, you're not allowed to wear hats on campus."
I stiffened. "I have a note."
The geek nodded. I moved past him. Then I saw a stuck-up girl blocking my way. "Excuse me," I told her.
"I happen to be the principal's daughter-"
"Good for you," I interrupted. "I said, excuse me."
The girl stiffened. "Not until you show me your note."
"You're going to be waiting for a very long time."
The girl lunged for her purse at the same time as I tried to lunge past her. The result was the girl spilling the top five items from my suitcase: my pill bottle, my book, a light green girls' fedora, my mom's letter, and my breast cancer awareness pin. I scrambled for them before anyone could put two and two together and expose my secret. The girl laughed out loud and the rest followed her example. My ears burned under my beanie. I hope that no one can see. I shove my pill bottle back into my purse and try to shove my way through the crowd. The girl in front of me shoves me back into the crowd. I slam into a boy who shoves me into the crowd. I spin but all I see is jeering faces. They chant something but I can't make it out. They shove me around the crowd. Then someone gets the bright idea to dump their water on my head. Then everyone gets into it and dump their water and soda on my head. I know what happens next. They're going to try to take my hat. I square my shoulders and take off like a bull towards the doors. I burst through the ring of fire and see the people who forced me out of my seat looking at me. Not staring at me, looking at me, the way little kids look at bugs. Like I'm a mildly interesting distraction. I glare at them, even though they don't deserve it. All of them look slightly surprised. I don't think that any of them show any emotion stronger than boredom. I run out of the lunchroom and find the girls bathroom. I enter a stall and lock the door. I've done this so many times, I'm a master. I find a different bottle of pills, my anti-anxiety pills, and swallow one without water. It leaves a chalky trail down my throat.
I hear someone else come into the bathroom. I pull my boots up off the floor and hold my breath. The person who came in here is looking for someone, and I'd say that since no one else ran out of the lunchroom today, they're looking for me. They systematically go past all the stalls and give the doors a little push. When they reach my stall, they push on the door and pause. They found me.
"Hello?" They ask.
"What the heck do you want?"
"I want to help."
"Go to heck."
"No."
"Then leave me alone." My voice cracks on the last word.
"Please, let me help," they plead.
"No."
They sigh. "Fine, then. But you're going to be late to class if you stay in there any longer."
They wait for a reply, and then sigh and leave. Someone else walks in when the first girl leaves. They walk straight to my stall and bang on the door.
"Use a different stall," I call out.
"I'm here to take you to class," the new girl says. I recognize the voice. It's the voice that told me to move in the cafeteria.
"And I'm here to say no," I reply, even though it's clear that I've been crying and my answer doesn't make any sense. The girl pauses, then sighs.
"Listen, I'm not as gentle as Aelita is when it comes to handling this sort of thing. Come out right now or I'll tell a teacher."
I sigh. Might as well throw some salt into the kids' eyes. I unlock the stall door after readjusting my beanie. I take a deep breath and come out. The goth girl offer me her hand.
"I'm Yumi Ishiyama," she says.
I shake her hand. "I'm ticked at the world."
Yumi laughs. "Yeah, so am I." She walks me over to the sink to wash my face.
"Take off your hat," she tells me. My hands automatically go to my head.
"No."
Yumi sighs. "We only have ten minutes to first bell. Just take off your hat."
I shake my head adamantly.
Yumi sighs again. She tends to do that a lot.
"Turn around first," I tell her. She rolls her eyes but obliges. I switch my blue beanie with my green fedora. "Okay."
Yumi turns around and sighs at me. She rinses my hat it expertly. She dries it under the air-dryers. I'm amazed at her kindness. Most people don't care this much. She hands me back my hat and I shove it into my purse. Then I pull out the principal's note. Reading the lines make me feel sick. Actually, that's not the note. I rush into a stall and heave up all the air from my stomach. I wipe off my mouth and flush the toilet. Yumi stares at me.
"Are you anorexic or something?" She asks. I shake my head. She seems nice, but I don't trust anyone anymore.
Yumi looks like she's about to pursue the subject, but she just sighs. "Whose class are you in for first period?"
I fumble for my schedule. "Science with Ms. Hertz."
Yumi nods. "Ulrich, Odd, Jeremie, and Aelita are in that class. C'mon."
I follow her out of the bathroom and walk with her the whole way down to Ms. Hertz's room.
"This is Ms. Hertz's room. Give her your note and sit near Ulrich or Jeremie."
"Who's Ulrich?"
"Brunette."
I nod and walk into the room. I walk up to the gray-haired teacher and hand her my note just as the bell rings. She reads it over, nods, and tells me to take a seat. I use one of the tricks my mom taught me and make eye contact with everyone and smile politely. I slide into a seat next to the brown-haired boy(Ulrich) I saw in the cafeteria and nod at him, still smiling.
"Class," Ms. Hertz starts. "we have a new student in class. She has enrolled under special circumstances, and I expect you to treat her kindly." She nods to me. "Would you like to continue?"
I mentally shrug. I'm already going outcast, might as well sprint. "Not particularly, miss, but I don't get the impression that I have a choice. My name is Penny Mia Sinclair and I enrolled here from France." The English rolls off my tongue like I was born here. It's one of my talents.
"Any questions?" Ms. Hertz asks. Half the class shoots up their hands.
"Yes, Sissi," she says, and calls on the girl who started it all in the cafeteria.
"What are the circumstances?" She asks. I groan silently. Saw that one coming.
"I am sure that Ms. Sinclair will inform you if she so wishes. Anyone else?"
"Besides the circumstances?" I call. All but one hand goes down.
"Yes, Mr. Della Robia?"
He twists in his chair and looks directly at me. My heart thuds.
"Are you a good artist?" He asks.
I smile. All my life people have been asking questions about me, and only one person asks about my art. "Yeah. Mostly I do watercolors, pastels, and sketching."
He nods. "Cool," he says, and turns around.
For the rest of the class period, all I can think about is his hair and his eyes. I check my schedule and squint, hoping I don't have to pull out my glasses.
"Whassa matter?" Ulrich asks.
"I think that there's a typo on my sheet. It says that my next class is gym, and it's being taught by...Jim." I look up at him, since I'm about a foot shorter, and he's laughing.
"What's so funny?" I ask. Ulrich keeps snorting.
"No typo," he says, still snickering. "But the guy's hilarious."
I frown. Then I remember a trick I taught myself and try it out.
"Yumi Ishiyama has a crush on you, you know," I say. I turn to Della Robia.
"Do you know where gym class is?" I ask. He nods, dumbstruck. I tap my foot for a few seconds. "Are you going to show me where it is?" I ask. He nods and leads me down to the locker rooms. I stare at him.
"I don't have a gym uniform, doofus," I say, kicking myself for adding 'doofus'. "Where's the teacher?"
He points over my shoulder and I turn to see the gym teacher. I walk up to him.
"Excuse me," I say, "I'm new here, and I don't know all the teachers. Are you the gym teacher?" The man nods.
"I don't have a gym uniform. Do you know where I could get one?"
He nods again and opens a nearby supply closet.
"What size are you?"
"Eight."
He nods and throws me a tiny gym uniform. I'm pretty sure It's the smallest one they have, and I also know it's about two sizes too big for me. I sigh and head into the changing rooms. I change into my gym outfit in record speed and have to ask another girl where to go. She directs me onto a track and field location that doesn't suit me at all. I get the paranoid feeling she lied to me. I wish that I still had my purse and my anti-anxiety pill. It's not until several people I recognize show up that I'm convinced that this wasn't all an elaborate plan to make me fail in school. Then the gym teacher shows up.
"A reminder to new students: hats are forbidden during class time," he says, looking pointedly at me.
"I have a note, sir," I say.
The man nods, then frowns, then shrugs. "Whatever. Today, class, we will be running laps. Whoever runs the longest wins, and whoever runs the least has to wear the mascot costume at all the soccer games."
I sigh. Not going to enjoy that mascot costume. Or the round of puking that will follow gym class.
The class(including me)trundles off towards the starting line.
"On your mark...get set...go!" The teacher yells.
I take off running. I regret this soon. My muscles are tired and I can barely breathe. I have to stop after one lap. I actually didn't do the least, one kid didn't even finish a lap. The poor thing was so out of shape, I'm surprised that he managed to get to the starting line. I smile briefly before running back into the changing room and vomit up the two pills I managed to swallow. Another girl is running in after me. I look up. It's the pinkette.
"Are you okay?" She asks, and I realize that she's the girl that Yumi mentioned.
I exhale. "Fine." I give her the most natural smile in the world. She doesn't look like she believes me, but she leaves. I take a long drink from the drinking fountain and head back out. I see the blonde, out of shape kid walking towards me. He looks smug, and I know the face of a liar when I see one.
"You told the teacher you ran more laps than me," I say, stating a fact.
He turns around and smiles. "So what?"
Now I'm mad. People don't mess with me unless they've got a death wish.
"So you lied, and I am so not wearing a panda suit for twelve soccer games." To prove this statement, I use one of my best tricks:I take my red makeup and circle my eyes. I grin evilly at him just as Ulrich is walking up.
"You JERK!" I scream. "What kind of person DOES that?" Everyone freezes and stares. The blonde has decided to play along.
"Jeez, it's not a big deal," he says quietly, which makes people even more eager to listen.
"Not a big DEAL?" I screech. "You LIED! You KNOW that I ran more laps than you! You didn't even FINISH a lap! And you're forcing me to wear a giant panda suit in PUBLIC!"
"No one will know who you are!" Ulrich pleads.
"Then YOU wear the freaking suit!" I yell. He goes silent. "Yeah, didn't THINK so!"
I turn to the crowd and play the hurt little girl for all it's worth. "Would ANY of you like to wear a panda suit to a soccer game here?" My cries are met with silence. The trap is set. "Would ANY of you let someone LIE and say that they ran more laps than you just so they don't have to wear a panda suit?" Now I'm met with a chorus of "No"'s from the audience. Perfect.
"So WHY does HE think that he can get away with it?" I cry. And then it's out of my hands. The crowd has linked this situation with scenes in their life reflecting this moment. They yell for the teacher and explain the situation. The teacher nods.
"Belpois!" He barks. Te blonde scurries up to him. "Is this true?"
Belpois nods. The teacher shakes his head. "Shame on you, Belpois! You're wearing the suit for the whole school year!"
I smile, lost in the crowd as they find closure for whatever moment was going through their head. I'm going to have fun here.
B-O-R-D-E-R
A few hours later I'm cursing myself. Students are required to go to the cafeteria for dinner and I just made the only people I know here glare at me whenever I walk by. I use one of my mom's tricks and blow them kisses when I pass. The looks in their faces are priceless.
I'm brooding when an over-happy seventh-grader bobs up to me and starts asking questions.
"Your name?"
"I like it. Yours?"
The girl behind the camera snickers.
"I am Milly Solovieff, reporter for the Kadic Herald. What is your name?"
"Well, Milly, my name is Penelope Mia Sinclair. What makes me so newsworthy?"
"Your hat."
I adjust my fedora. "Oh, this old thing? Funny story, I actually wanted a red one, y'know, to help me stand out in the crowd, but-"
"Not the hat itself," Milly says impatiently. "You get to wear it in classes. Why?"
"I have a note from the principal."
"Why?"
"Well, first he took a pen, and then-"
"No, why does he excuse the hat?"
"Because it's so fashionable."
Milly sighs. "Principal Delmas is not known for his fashion sense."
"You can say that again."
"So why did he excuse the hat?"
"I demand safety from the paparazzi!"
Milly rolls her eyes. "We're not paparazzi! We just want our readers to know the truth."
"If you're videotaping me, aren't people more watching it than reading it?"
Milly pauses. "Are you going to tell us about the hat?"
"Funny story. I actually wanted a red one, but my cousin is color-blind, and-"
Milly threw up her hands in exasperation. "I give up!" She and her camerawoman stormed away. I go back to brooding.
Someone slams their palms down on the table I'm sitting at. "What did the table ever do to you?" I ask without looking up.
"I'm not angry at the table, I'm angry at you!" My lips curl up into a smile.
"Then take it out on me, not the table!"
I turn around and smile saccharinely at Ulrich Stern. He blanches.
"No." He shakes his head. I smirk.
"What's wrong, afraid I'll win?"
"Afraid I'll hurt you."
"My problem."
"Not really."
My lips twist up higher. "Wanna bet?"
"Fine!" Ulrich spits out. "Let's go. Right now, on the quad." I smile.
"Let's go then." I stand up so quickly Ulrich reels back. I laugh. "See you in five minutes." I blow him a kiss.
I give Ulrich five minutes to gather his posse. A few options here. Beat him up, play the helpless girl and let him beat me up, or take off my hat. I shudder. Maybe not that last one.
"Ready, Penny?" Ulrich asks. I grin.
"Always. Why are we fighting?"
"Cause you told the coach Jeremy lied."
"So I'm in a fight because I told the truth? Wow, this is an inspiring message for today's schoolchildren!"
Ulrich growls. "Shut up."
"Act like a human being."
Ulrich roars and launches himself at me. He likes slow and dramatic. I step quickly to the side. Ulrich hits the ground hard. He stands up and goes for a series of Pencak Silat moves. Pencak Silat is all about concentration, so I mess up his concentration by darting forward and whispering "Yumi likes you" in his ear. He topples over backwards. He gets up, panting. "You win," he says.
"I never even hit you," I say. "Not much of a fight."
Ulrich laughs. He straightens up and launches himself at me. I sidestep him again. This is just sad. I laugh at him.
He straightens up again. I smile at him.
"Done yet? It's sad when you're actually beating yourself up."
Ulrich snarled. I smirked. He goes for a roundhouse kick. I jump it.
I shake my head sadly. "Are we done here?"
Ulrich pauses, then nods. I grin and launch into song.
"I am the champion...my frie-end...
And I'll...keep on fighting...till the end
I am the champion...
I am the champion! No time for losers cuz I am the champion...of the world!"
I grin at Ulrich and then speed off to my dorm. I lock the door behind me and take off my hat. I sigh and collapse on my bed. I lie down and look at the ceiling. All day wearing that stupid hat and I can finally take it off. I lie down on my bed and daydream about leaving. But then I remember that I heard Ulrich, I think, talking about a martial arts club. That would be fun.
A knock at the door interrupts my brooding. I remember a poem I had to memorize in fifth grade:
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.'
I put my green fedora on my head and went to answer the door.
I opened the door, and Milly Solovieff is standing there, finishing her sentence.
"-and here she is! The secret of the hat has been revealed." And with that, she snatches my hat. The girl behind the camera gets a shot of my head. They pause for just a second, then run back down the hall, laughing. I close the door slowly. I sit down on the bed and hold my head-my bald head-in my hands. Now the downward spiral begins.
